1 This Information Note has been prepared by Tanvi Sinha under the supervision of Rashid S Kaukab of CUTS to facilitate the discussion at a meeting of Geneva EAC Forum and is not to be quoted. It is emphasised that the TiSA negotiations since the very beginning have been shrouded in mystery and very little information on the content of the negotiations is publicly available. This makes it very difficult to present verified information about TiSA provisions and anaylse and assess its implications for developing countries including the EAC countries.
2 See: The Trade In Services Agreement (TISA) retrieved from: https://servicescoalition.org/negotiations/trade-in-services-agreement 3 Sauvé Pierre (2013), A Plurilateral Agenda for Services? Assessing the case for a Trade in Services Agreement (TISA), NCCR Trade Regulation; Working Paper No 2013/29, pp. 2-20 4 See: Secret Trade in Services Agreement (TISA) - Financial Services Annex retrieved from: https://wikileaks.org/tisa-financial/ 5 See: Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, retrieved from: http://www.dfat.gov.au/trade/negotiations/services/trade-in-servicesagreement.html 6 Sinclair Scott and Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood (2014), TISA versus Public Services, Public Services International, pp. 5-19
7 See: The Trade In Services Agreement (TISA) retrieved from: https://servicescoalition.org/negotiations/trade-in-services-agreement 8 Sinclair Scott and Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood (2014), TISA versus Public Services, Public Services International, pp. 5-19 9 Ibid. 10 See: Secret Trade in Services Agreement (TISA) - Financial Services Annex retrieved from: https://wikileaks.org/tisa-financial/
11 Sauvé Pierre (2013), A Plurilateral Agenda for Services? Assessing the case for a Trade in Services Agreement (TISA), nccr Trade Regulation; Working Paper No 2013/29, pp. 2-20 12 See: Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA), Australian Government, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, retrieved from: http://www.dfat.gov.au/trade/negotiations/services/trade-inservices-agreement.html 13 Sinclair Scott and Hadrian Mertins-Kirkwood (2014), TISA versus Public Services, Public Services International, pp. 5-19
Date Session Chair Issues Addressed 27 April 3 May 2013 First Round USA Parties produced a first draft of core negotiating text Discussions on temporary entry of business persons. Initial discussions were also held on financial services. 24 28 June 2013 Second Round EU Discussions around the inclusion of provisions from the WTO General Agreement on Trade in Services in the core text of the TiSA 16 20 September 2013 4 8 November 2013 17-24 February 2014 28 April - 2 May 2014 Initial discussions were held on Annex on Professional Services. New proposals were tabled on financial services and domestic regulation. Preliminary discussions on e-commerce and maritime transport services Third Round Australia Significant progress was made on the core text of the agreement, Commencement of market access negotiations. Discussions also progressed on new and enhanced disciplines. Fourth Round USA Focused on advancing new and enhanced disciplines (trade rules) on ICT services, financial services, professional services, temporary entry of business persons, maritime transport services and domestic regulation. New proposals were tabled on air transport services, competitive delivery services, energy services and subsidies. The provisions on scheduling commitments now largely finalised. Fifth Round EU Discussions on new and advanced disciplines (trade rules) for ICT services, financial services, domestic regulation and transparency, maritime transport, professional services and temporary entry of business persons. Agreement to move from proposals to negotiating texts for all of these disciplines. Sixth Round Australia Progress in advancing discussions in all areas of the negotiations, including on new and enhanced disciplines (trade rules) for financial services, domestic regulation and transparency, e-commerce and telecommunications, and maritime transport. Negotiating text for air transport. The Global Services Coalition organised a substantial industry presence in the margins of the negotiations. 23-37 June 2014 Seventh Round Focused on advancing the new and enhanced disciplines (trade rules) for e-commerce and telecommunications, financial services, professional services, domestic regulation and transparency, air and maritime transport and temporary entry of business persons. Further discussions on the competitive delivery services and road transport proposals.
14 Ibid. 15 Sauvé Pierre (2013), A Plurilateral Agenda for Services? Assessing the case for a Trade in Services Agreement (TISA), nccr Trade Regulation; Working Paper No 2013/29, pp. 2-20 16 Ibid.